


Oblivion

by nothingwithoutyouxo



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, M/M, School Dances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-10 01:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15938831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothingwithoutyouxo/pseuds/nothingwithoutyouxo
Summary: "If you could dance with anyone here who would it be?" Tony asked.Clay didn't even think before answering. "Justin."He raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you ask him?"





	Oblivion

**Author's Note:**

> Back at it again with another fic. So technically this takes place at the dance in the Season 2 finale (which from memory was their Spring Fling) but ... none of the Bad Events in that episode happened and all these kids are Ok and Very Gay. Hope you guys like it!

There was absolutely no reason for him to be feeling the way he was, and Clay knew that, but he wasn’t sure if he could help it. The dance was in full swing. The music was loud and there were people everywhere talking, laughing, dancing, taking too many selfies. All things that should be happening at a dance. All things that he couldn’t even think about doing. He was on edge, and he couldn’t figure out why. He’d parted from his friends at some point, avoiding their table and hovering on the other side of the room instead. Sheri had already come to check on him at least twice before he managed to convince her that he was ok and that she should go and be with her girlfriend. That he could handle himself.

 

He wasn’t sure if it was being caused by this particular dance, or his past experiences with dances in general but he was just a little uncomfortable. At least he knew that Tony wouldn’t play any songs that he really didn’t want to hear. He was trying not to think about that sort of stuff. Trying to live entirely in the moment he was in, but his thoughts were all over the place, never settling on one particular thing or even one particular person. Just buzzing continuously into a mashed up mess.

 

“Taking a break?” Clay asked as Tony came and sat next to him. He’d ended up on the couches at some point, managing to isolate himself from most of the people in the room. It helped somehow.  

 

“Yeah, got a playlist running at the moment. Don’t need to do much. Thought I’d come be with you for a bit,” he replied, shrugging.

 

Clay smiled faintly, eyes scanning the room and noting how happy everyone was. He still had no idea why he couldn’t feel it himself.

 

“You ok?”

 

He always forgot that Tony could read his mind. He shifted so that he was facing him and tried to figure out what excuse he could give. “I’m ok,” he lied.

 

He could tell that Tony didn’t really believe him, but he let it slide. “Haven’t seen you dancing yet,” he said. “You know that’s what you’re supposed to do at a dance, right?”

 

Clay rolled his eyes. “I can’t dance, and you know it.”

 

“Do I have to remind you again that literally no one can dance?” he teased. “Have you _looked_ in the direction of the floor tonight?”

 

He knew that Tony was right. He’d told Clay that at every school dance for as long as he could remember. Tony wasn’t one for letting self-consciousness rule out.

 

“Is it something else?” he asked.

 

Clay shook his head. “Not really. Just feel … weird?”

 

Tony nodded. “Well, if you could dance with anyone who would it be?”

 

He wasn’t sure if it was a serious question but somehow he found himself answering. “Justin,” he said. His eyes widened because admitting that out loud was kind of horrifying.

 

“Relax,” Tony smiled. “I’m the person least likely to judge you for that. You’d get more shit from Ryan.”

 

Clay ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I don’t … really know when it started feeling like this,” he admitted.

 

“As in with Justin or just feeling bi in general?”

 

Bi. Well, that made an awful lot of sense. “I’m bi?” he muttered.

 

Tony patted his shoulder gently. “Yeah.”

 

“And you’ve known that for how long?”

 

He shrugged. “A while.”

 

Clay wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. “You never considered, like, maybe telling me about that?”

 

Tony laughed. “Clay, that’s something you have to figure out by yourself.”

 

He was right. Again.

 

“As for the Justin thing,” he continued. “You could just ask him to dance.”

 

Clay hesitated, looking around him at all the people that were there. Pretty much the entire school had showed up this time. It was probably because everyone needed this sort of release. Needed a reason to dress up and dance and just _forget_. He wasn’t sure if he could risk being seen doing something like that. Even more so, he wasn’t sure if Justin would risk it. He didn’t really want to put either of them in that position.

 

“You’re scared of people’s reactions,” Tony said. It wasn’t a question.

 

“Yeah, I guess.”

 

“The worst he could give you is a no, and if you want my honest opinion, I don’t think he will.”

 

He perked up at that. “Is there something you know that I don’t?” he asked.

 

Tony looked at him for a moment. Clay could tell he was fighting off a smirk. He felt lightheaded. “Ask Justin to dance and maybe you’ll find out.”

 

Clay pulled at his tie, suddenly realising just how hot it was in the room.

 

“Don’t stress yourself out,” Tony reminded.

 

“Stop being right,” he said.

 

Tony laughed at that.

 

“You’re not gonna be lonely over here by yourself?” Clay muttered. It was his brain’s last attempt at deflecting, at hoping Tony would give his nerves a reason to feel justified.

 

He shook his head. “I have to find Courtney. She’s got this song she wants me to play as some romantic gesture to her girlfriend, but she keeps forgetting to text me what it is.”

 

“Last I saw her she was hanging around with Ryan. Maybe you should ask him to dance.”

 

Tony shrugged. “I will if you will.”

 

Ah, a trap. “I hate you.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes and stood up, buttoning up his suit jacket as he did so. “Justin’s over with Zach. You’ve got this, Clay.” Then he patted Clay’s shoulder twice and disappeared into the crowd.

 

Clay had idea what to do, but he knew that he was out of excuses. Anything he could come up with now would be beyond ridiculous. He guessed that if Tony was serious and asked Ryan to dance at some point then maybe this would be worth it, regardless of his own outcome. His eyes scanned everyone around him. Zach was usually pretty easy to find so that would come in handy. He stood up, looking around at all of the tables until he found the one that his group had been gravitating towards. Most of them were dancing at this point, but Justin and Zach were still seated. He didn’t have the headspace to wonder why.

 

He made his way across the room, beelining straight for their table and hoping that no one was paying him any attention. Surely they’d just be focusing on their own experience and wouldn’t be worrying about his. He reached the two boys, stopping in front of Justin, who looked up at him. He was struck again by just how _good_ Justin looked in a suit. It was definitely distracting. He thought about helping Justin tie his tie earlier that night and how much strength it had taken not to just pull him in and kiss him right there. He swallowed. Justin hadn’t spoken but his conversation with Zach had fallen to a halt the second Clay had stopped in front of him. He knew that he had to be the one to break the silence.

 

“You wanna dance?” he asked, and hated how it came out. Too panicky and a little desperate. Not at all how he wanted to appear.

 

Something flicked behind Justin’s eyes but it was too quick for Clay to catch. “With you?” he asked.

 

Clay looked around him at everyone else minding their own business. “Anyone else asking?” It sounded even worse, but Justin smiled up at him and Clay had no idea what to do.

 

“Yeah alright,” he replied, glancing over at Zach and muttering that he’d catch him later before standing up.

 

Clay hadn’t expected to get this far ahead, but here he was. _Shit what do I do?_

 

“Come on then,” Justin laughed and Clay followed him to the mass amount of people that all looked as ridiculous dancing as each other. Clay hoped that noticing that would help keep him calm.

 

They made it through one song before there was a drastic shift in tempo. _Shit_ . Clay looked over Justin’s shoulder to see that Tony was back behind the decks. He gave Clay a cheesy smile and a thumbs up. _Dammit Courtney, your timing_. Everyone around them was starting to couple up. Clay wasn’t sure why he was starting to feel a little sick. He looked up at Justin again who seemed to be feeling just as awkward as he was. Then Justin took his hand and pulled him closer. Clay felt his heart start to speed up.

 

“So, I haven’t done this in a while,” Justin was saying, “but if I remember right you put your hand on my shoulder and I put mine on your waist.” He moved Clay’s hand for him and Clay couldn’t breathe.

 

“Why haven’t you done this in a while?” he asked, because it was the first thing he thought of.

 

He shrugged. “I mean, had to have been a few months ago by now. Would have been at the last dance with Jess.”

 

Well, now he’d fucked up. He grimaced. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Shouldn’t have asked.”

 

Justin looked over Clay’s shoulder for a second, watching Jessica laugh as she spun Sheri in a circle before pulling her in to kiss her. “Don’t be, we’re ok. We’re better off now. You know?”

 

Clay followed Justin’s line of sight and noticed the girls as well. He smiled. “Yeah.”

 

“Clay, I’ve been thinking about something - “ he trailed off, not quite being able to look at him.

 

He wondered if whatever he’d been thinking about was what Tony had insinuated earlier. He wished he could make a joke but this definitely seemed like too serious a moment. He wasn’t sure whether to panic or not.

 

Justin swallowed, laughed to fill the silence. “This is so much harder than I thought it would be,” he said. “Sorry, I’m - I’m probably being weird.”

 

Clay shook his head. “You’re never weird. Not really.”

 

Justin looked up at him again, met his eyes. He smiled. “Do you want to, maybe, go to Monet’s at some point? I mean, it doesn’t have to be Monet’s, it can be anywhere but would you want to? Maybe?”

 

His brain was running through a thousand thoughts all at once. He settled on one of them. “Justin, are you trying to ask me out? Like … on a date?”

 

He saw the panic start up in Justin’s eyes, worried about being called out. “I mean, it can be whatever you want it to be,” he backtracked.

 

“No, I - I’d like that.”

 

His eyes lit up. “Really?”

 

Clay couldn’t help the smile that overcame him. “Yeah.”

 

Justin laughed before quickly apologising again. “Sorry.”

  
  
“Justin, you don’t need to keep apologising,” he reminded.

  
  
He nodded. “Is this ok? All of this?”

  
  
“Yeah it’s ok. Are _you_ ok?” Clay could tell that he was getting a little overwhelmed. He knew that it would have been a lot for him to get to this point. He realised that Tony must have known because Justin must have talked to him about it. He really did end up holding everyone’s secrets.

  
  
“Yeah it’s just that I - I never expected - I mean, you of all people. Shit, that sounded - that sounded really bad I didn’t mean it like that.”

  
  
Clay smiled at him. “No it’s ok. I get it. I didn’t really expect it either.”

 

“Hey losers!” Jessica called, rushing up to the two of them with Sheri next to her. “Alex is about to ask Zach to dance and you’re going to miss it because you’re over here being gay.”

 

Clay had no idea what to say to that. His eyes flicked between the two girls and Sheri smirked at him.

 

“Bi erasure,” Justin joked. “Also I literally just saw you kiss your girlfriend two minutes ago so if anyone’s gay here it’s you.”

 

She just rolled her eyes at him, and then focused on the table where Alex was slowly approaching Zach. Even from over here, it was pretty easy to tell that he was kind of shaking.

 

“God, I love him,” Sheri muttered.

 

“I wish I knew where Tyler was. This is the kind of shit I need captured on film,” Jessica laughed.

 

“He’ll be around,” she replied. “He’s good at what he does.”

 

“Maybe he has a sixth sense for this.”

 

“I hope so.”

 

The four of them watched the two boys closely. Not being able to hear what they were saying was kind of stressful and the moment seemed to drag on forever.

 

“Do you think Tony knows to keep playing slow songs for the next hour?” Clay asked.

 

Sheri laughed at that.

 

“Come on, give him some credit. This is a big step for him,” Jessica reminded.

 

“Maybe not the right choice of words there, Jess,” Justin teased.

 

“Fuck off.”

 

It felt like a century had passed before Zach finally stood up, letting Alex take his arm as the two of them headed for the dance floor. The group breathed a collective sigh of relief.

 

“My heart is so full,” Sheri said.

 

“We should move so they don’t see us watching them,” Jessica added, tugging gently on her hand.

 

The four of them moved off to the side, back to the couches that Clay and Tony had been sitting on earlier.

 

“So what’s happening with you two?” Sheri asked, as Jessica slid an arm around her easily.

 

Clay didn’t know how to answer and hoped that Justin would.

 

Justin looked at him, smiling softly and Clay couldn’t think. “Something,” he said. “Maybe.”

 

“Maybe,” he agreed.

 

***

 

“Should we talk about this?” Clay asked, as the two of them snuck back into his room. His parents were already asleep and the thought of accidentally waking them was just a little terrifying so they’d crept through the house as quietly as they could. He pushed his bedroom door closed ever so carefully behind him so that it didn’t make a sound and turned to face Justin who’d already undone his tie and the top few buttons of his shirt.

 

“Talk about what?”

 

Clay hated how good he looked. Even more than that, he hated that all he could think about was how good Justin looked. “Can you not?”

 

Justin’s brow furrowed, obviously having no idea what he was referring to. “Can I not what?”

 

He sighed because now he had to explain himself, and he was going to sound completely stupid. “Can you not look like that? When you’re not even trying?”

 

For a moment, Justin just looked at him and it was enough time for Clay to start reconsider every choice he’d ever made in his entire life, but then he laughed, just a little. “And what are you going to do about it?” he smirked.

 

Was that … an invitation? Clay didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even think, just crossed the room towards him, pulled on the front of Justin’s shirt so he could crush their lips together. Justin kissed him back, just as hard, wrapping his arms around him to pull him closer. At some point, Clay’s hands ended up digging into Justin’s hair instead. He had no idea which one of them pulled away first.

 

“Jesus, Jensen,” he muttered, resting his forehead against Clay’s to catch his breath.

 

Clay blinked a few times, letting the moment settle and completely register in his brain. “Too much?” he asked.

 

Justin smiled, pulled away just a little so that he could see his eyes. “No, just … wasn’t expecting … _that_.”

 

“Sorry?”

 

He shook his head, leaned back in to kiss Clay. It was a lot softer this time, and slower, and Clay almost regretted trying to rush things. “Don’t be,” he said.

**Author's Note:**

> A few things:  
> 1\. I'm very new to this show so I don't know if y'all have considered Jessica x Sheri but y'all Should  
> 2\. Tyler spent the dance taking photos for the yearbook and eventually building up the courage to ask Cyrus to dance. He's ok and Safe.  
> 3\. I've over on Tumblr at [potter-awakening](http://www.potter-awakening.tumblr.com) if anyone wants to chat!
> 
> See you next time!


End file.
